[Inside Chodong] The President's Noisy Vacation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In Korean political history, a president's vacation is not a private matter. When and where the president goes on vacation, whom they meet, and what books they read are all matters of public interest. This is especially true for the president's first vacation, coming just over 80 days after inauguration. With approval ratings having fallen below what was considered the last line of defense, the direction the president takes in governing is essentially the future of the Republic of Korea.

However, President Yoon was unable to enjoy a moment of leisure. His approval rating plummeted to a historic low of 24% in less than three months after taking office. Despite having thoroughly kept a low profile over the past five days, he attracted even more attention than when he was making sharp remarks during doorstepping (Q&A on the way to work).

A recent comment from a presidential office official that "the timing was bad" is not incorrect. Even though it was a golden opportunity to shake off the text message controversy involving Kwon Seong-dong, the acting leader of the People Power Party and floor leader, which broke out just before the vacation, the aides' control faltered. Kang Seung-gyu, the Senior Secretary for Civil Society, who had already been embroiled in controversy over his remarks on the patronage system (獵官制), further damaged public trust in the national proposal contest by announcing that no decisions would be made ahead of the announcement of the top three public proposals.

The direct reason was the confirmation of multiple instances of abusing using overseas IPs, but considering that in last month's briefing there was confidence expressed that "public opinion is somewhat distorted, but through macro prevention it is operated on a 100% real-name basis," the failure to properly wrap things up is regrettable.

The person who made the surprise announcement of President Yoon's directive to "consider advancing the elementary school entrance age by one year" was Park Soon-ae, the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, whom President Yoon appointed despite 'competency controversies.' Criticism of this sudden educational system reform, which was neither in the presidential campaign promises nor in the national agenda, continues. Not only Senior Secretary for Social Affairs Ahn Sang-hoon but also the spokesperson's office have tried to manage the situation, but there are ongoing criticisms that the presidential office and government caused confusion by releasing policies closely related to citizens' lives without proper preparation. Ultimately, it seems that President Yoon will need to personally clarify his position on the 'lowering of elementary school entrance age policy' after returning to work to bring this issue to a close.

Noise related to First Lady Kim Geon-hee's connections, which had been quiet for a while, also erupted again during the vacation period. The rumors of a certain shaman's involvement in vested interests and suspicions about the selection process of the official residence construction company have repeatedly raised issues about private connections since the early days of the administration. This is now a matter that President Yoon himself, rather than the presidential office, must judge as a 'serious problem.'

It is regrettable that even the 'release of vacation photos,' which past administrations used to build a president's pro-people image, became an issue. The only publicly disclosed schedule during President Yoon's first vacation was his attendance at a play in Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, which stirred political circles all day. This was due to his choice not to meet Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who is the top figure in the allied U.S. Congress and effectively the second most powerful person in Washington. The ruling party criticized President Yoon's decision, while the opposition party defended it, creating a rare spectacle. One opposition figure even remarked, "I never thought I would praise the president."

The noisy vacation seems to have ended with the approval rating of 24% announced on the last day of President Yoon's vacation. Publicly, President Yoon did nothing for five days, yet his approval rating took another hit.

It is hoped that he devised strategies with his aides while contemplating the future political situation at his residence. President Yoon said, "I did not pay much attention to approval ratings even during the election campaign," but with the current approval ratings, a senior ruling party lawmaker's comment that even public officials do not listen is not wrong at all. For the president to convey his governing philosophy to the public through his aides and civil servants, objective data showing "how much we trust you" is also necessary. / Bae Kyung-hwan, Deputy Chief of Political Department khbae@